This invention relates generally to the manufacture and repair of microcircuitry, and, more particularly, to the manufacture and repair of hybrid microcircuitry. In hybrid microcircuitry, various electronic components, some of which may be small integrated circuits and some which may be discrete components, are assembled together on a single substrate or circuit board, which is typically then enclosed in a sealed metal package, the necessary electrical connections to the circuitry being made by means of insulated terminal leads brought out through the edges of the package. Sealing is usually effected by welding a lid to the package after the circuitry is placed in it.
If the resultant hybrid circuit package satisfactorily performs its desired electronic function, there is, of course, no need to remove the lid after it has been welded or otherwise fixed in position. Frequently, however, such packages can fail in final testing and may have to be discarded unless the package can be opened to repair the circuit. Until now, there has been no satisfactory technique for opening such a package without either risking damage to the electronic components or requiring costly machining before resealing of the package.
Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention to provide apparatus, and a corresponding method for its operation, for removing the lid of a microcircuit package in a reliable and semi-automatic manner. Ideally, such apparatus should be capable of accommodating a variety of package sizes and lid thicknesses and should be able to effect removal of the lid without damage to the electronic components contained within the package. The present invention is directed to these ends.